My voice breaks.
“And if they’re here? It means someone sent them. It means I was followed.”
The three men keep looking around the room, and the longer I am in here, the sooner I will be found.
I look to Mikey, then to Kai, “I need to leave. Now.”
They both get out of their chairs, and Kai steps in front of me without any hesitation, blocking their line of sight with his entire body. His broad shoulders and tense posture make him look like he is ready to take on an army… for me…
Mikey slides to the other side of me and grabs the back of my hoodie, anchoring me to him. They are protective and possessive right now. Both are wearing a terrifyingly calm expression on their face.
“Julia,” Kai murmurs, never looking away from the men, “Look at me.”
I don’t look at him. I can’t. My eyes are glued on the man in the middle… the one who dragged me out of my room by my hair when I was twelve for my “disobedience.”
I choke on air.
“I need to leave,” I say again, more stern this time. “Now.”
Mikey doesn't ask any questions, just grabs my hand. “Come on.”
Kai takes the other, and suddenly, we’re moving through the bar so fast, everything blurs around me.
We pass the tables, the bar top, and Mel, who takes a look at our faces and doesn't ask a single thing.
“Kai, back door,” she calls. “It jams. Kick hard.”
We push through the swinging kitchen door. My senses are overpowered by the smell of grease and bleach, and it makes my lungs ache. My legs stumble, but the twins’ hands keep me upright.
Mikey glances over his shoulder. “They’re not following. Yet.”
Yet… that word nearly makes me vomit.
Kai walks in front of us, reaching the back exit, and kicks the metal bar so hard the whole frame rattles. It sticks, as Mel said. He growls and kicks again. This time, the door slams open into the alley.
The cold air hits my face like a slap, and emotions flood me.
Mikey checks the alley first, making sure no one is waiting, then pushes me ahead of him and shields my back. His hand never leaves me.
“Kai, truck?” Mikey asks.
“Across the lot.”
We move fast across the cracked pavement. My breath is ragged and coming out in pants. It looks like I am smoking with how cold the air is. My chest burns, and my legs are barely keeping up. Fuck these heels.
My fear rolls through my head.
You should’ve never believed you could start over.
The moment we reach Kai’s truck, he yanks open the back door.
“Up,” He commands. His tone is sharp and should frighten me, but it doesn’t. At this moment, it actually steadies me.
I climb in with shaky hands, and Mikey gets in right beside me, sliding to the middle seat.
Kai slams the driver's door shut, locks everything, and fires the engine to life. The roar of it drowns out the sound of my heartbeat.
“Buckle,” Kai says.
